


Blue, Cold, and Unsympathetic

by 8d6FireDamage



Series: CR Inktober Fics [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Character Death, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-15 02:11:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20858507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8d6FireDamage/pseuds/8d6FireDamage
Summary: “Mein lieber Freund, let us start simple, bitte.”An unfortunate soul crosses paths with a young Caleb, and how great that goes for everyone involved.





	Blue, Cold, and Unsympathetic

“_Mein lieber Freund _ , let us start simple, _ bitte. _” 

She was confused, foggy. The last thing she remembered was bedding down slightly off the road on her way to Icehaven. It was a simple job. She was a courier tasked with taking a small bundle of parcels across the Frozen Depths to Tal’Dorei. It was a hard job, but a good job that paid well enough. She got to see the world as well. That alone made it worth it. This was decidedly not worth it. Whatever this was. 

A hand patted her face, and it took her longer than it should have to connect the hand to the voice heard previously. Then the voice spoke again.

"Let me explain how this works, _ ja _ ? I am going to ask some questions. You are going to answer them. _ Verstehst du?" _

It was only then she was able to focus and take in the surroundings. A small room. Stone floor, stone walls. Dark. A singular torch flickering in a sconce next to a thick looking metal door. Closed. 

Panic was beginning to set in. Whatever fog that was clouding her mind now gave way to pure adrenaline. She attempted to sit up, and immediately found it impossible. She was chained to this chair, which was in turn bolted to the floor. An animalistic, hindbrain instinct kicked in, and given no other clear options, she struggled.

"Ah, I would recommend against that." The voice was uncomfortably close to her left ear this time. She could feel the exhale of breath with the words. "It is ultimately futile."

With that the chains attached to her wrists were pulled taut, and any possibility of movement was taken from her. It hurt. She breathed, it was all she could do. 

After an agonizingly long moment, footsteps sounded from behind her as a person walked into her field of vision. A boy, a _ child _, walked with his spine straight and head held high, and stopped to face her. She almost laughed. It was absurd, the whole situation was beyond absurd. He had freckles for gods’ sakes! Of all the people to play her captor, it had to be this young boy who carried on his shoulders all the weight of self-importance and overconfidence only a boy his age could carry. 

He must have detected her estimation of him on her face. The boy’s brow furrowed, and for a split second she thought she saw the torch on the wall behind him flare. 

“Let me make this perfectly clear,” he stated deadpan as began to pace the room. “You were caught trying to leave the Empire with correspondence expressing sympathy for the Krynn Dynasty. Would you care to explain yourself?”

“What? There must be some mistake! I picked up those parcels in Rexxentrum! I-”

“You do not deny these allegations, then?” The boy stared directly into her eyes as he waited for a response. They were blue, cold and unsympathetic. It sent a shiver down her spine, and she found herself unable to respond. There was no correct answer here, she realized, and it left her frozen.

“Do you deny these allegations? Yes or no.”

She struggled to make any noise. She stuttered and garbled. Whatever left her mouth was pure nonsense. It was impossible to find the words or any one word at all. She tried to meet his gaze and plead to him, but he was no longer looking at her. He was staring past to some point directly behind her she could not see. 

Then to her horror a new voice filled the room. He must have been standing behind her this whole time, and this voice was assuredly not that of a child. This man’s voice grated with the treatment of many years, and he sounded _ bored. _ He said but two words.

“Now, Bren.”

Bren only nodded as his hands now at his sides began to glow orange. He met her gaze again. His eyes were the last thing she saw before the flames consumed her. 

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to follow along with CR Inktober through writing fics. Here's the prompt fill for Day 1: Favorite Character.


End file.
